Wreck Cove Hydroelectric System

Wreck Cove is the largest hydroelectric system in Nova Scotia with a generating capacity of 215.8 MW. Constructed from 1975 to 1978, south of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Wreck Cove collects drainage water from 216 square kilometres (83 sq mi) of the Cape Breton Highlands plateau to generate renewable electricity. It consists of two generating stations: the Gisborne Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 3.5 MW, and the Wreck Cove Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 212 MW, producing on average 318 GWh annually—enough energy to power about 30,000 homes. There are 33 hydro stations across Nova Scotia, with a total capacity of 400 MW. Wreck Cove makes up half of that hydro capacity, making it a significant provider of renewable energy that complements the 600 MW of less-predictable wind power on the province's electrical system. The Wreck Cove hydroelectric facility is the only one in the province that can go from zero to full output in under 10 minutes.

Power station data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).